Engadget.com report to have received an invitation by Apple for an upcoming event with its main theme set on iPhone OS 3.0.
Apple will display an "advance preview of what they're building", meaning that you probably won't see any working full-fledged iPhone OS 3.0 there (or iPhone 3 anyway). We really hope that at least some of the stuff on our wishlist will be answered - and maybe we will even be surprised by some new features.
The Nokia N97 measures 117.2 (L) x 55.3 (W) x 15.9mm (D) compared to the iPhone 3G's 115.5 (H) x 62.1 (W) x 12.3mm (D); the N97 weighs 150g compared to the iPhone 3G's 133g. All pretty similar.
The N97 obviously has the slide out QWERTY keyboard and features a tilting touchscreen, whereas the iPhone 3G is a single, static unit.
The iPhone 3G's 320 x 480 3:2 ratio screen is eclipsed by the Nokia N97's true widescreen (16:9) 640 x 360 pixels. Both measure 3.5 inches diagonally. Nokia definitely wins on this one, as not only will TV/DVD based widescreen movies fill the whole screen, but there's more resolution
Again, the N97 wins hands down on the camera front, offering five megapixels, Carl Zeiss Tessar optics, and a LED flash / video light. Yes, video. The N97 will shoot video at DVD quality (30fps). The iPhone 3G, by comparison, has no video functionality and a paltry 2MP camera with no flash or focus.
Both handsets are heavyweights when it comes to consuming multimedia content, with both phones loyal to their companies' services - the iPhone 3G obviously has access to a huge range of content via the iTunes Store, with all other content having to go via iTunes. The N97 has access to the Nokia Music Store.
Both can play a wide variety of audio formats, but the N97 manages WMA on top of MP3, AAC, eAAC and eAAC+.
Both play variations of the MPEG4 video format, but the N97 also supports Windows Media 9 and Flash Lite/Flash Video via the Internet browser.
The iPhone 3G utilises A-GPS and Google Maps, plus any third-party applications which use geo-location data, while the Nokia N97 has A-GPS and an electronic compass and uses Nokia Maps.
Google Maps offers 3D views of selected cities, driving, limited public transport and walking directions.
Nokia Maps offers multimedia city guides and navigation services, voice-guided car navigation, pedestrian-optimised guidance.
The N97 wins on navigation functionality, as the Nokia Maps system does seem to offer a wider range of options, however individual usage will vary depending on location.
Both phones offer HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity. The N97 has the full Bluetooth 2.0 A2DP implementation whereas the iPhone 3G has only basic Bluetooth.
Both handsets offer full access to Internet web sites, but the Nokia N97 offers support for Flash Lite 3.0 and Flash Video, so will be able to render pages more fully than the iPhone which doesn't. It's not immediately clear from the specs whether the N97 offers in-browser Java support, the iPhone 3G doesn't.
The initial Nokia N97 specifications don't explicitly mention which operating system is being used, but I presume, as an NSeries phone, it's Symbian-based. The iPhone 3G uses OS X.
The iPhone 3G comes with either 8GB or 16GB of fixed storage with no external expansion. The Nokia N97 comes with a whopping 32GB of internal memory plus up to 16GB of microSD expansion. Very nice.
iPhone 3G users have access to the standard range of useful applications plus a host of free and pay-for applications in the iPhone App Store via iTunes.
Assuming no restrictions, users will be able to install Symbian-based applications onto the Nokia N97.
Pricing and networks have not yet been announced for the Nokia N97, thought it's expected to have a pre-subsidy price of €599 (about £465).
Technically, the Nokia N97 beats the iPhone 3G in nearly every area - screen resolution, camera, web browser, video capability, storage - but of course it's an ewer handset.
I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Steve Jobs announcing a third generation iPhone at Macworld in January - before the N97 comes to market.
There's a lot of buzz surrounding the N97, and rightly so, but will its superior specs beat the "I want one" iPhone factor?
Time will tell. Do you want your phone to be Apple-flavoured or Nokia-flavoured? And what about the price - both are going to be fairly hefty and/or require a serious contract.
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Steve Jobs unveils the price and features of the 3G iPhone
Apple has unveiled a second generation of its iPhone, with support for faster 3G wireless networks.
The company is hoping to boost its share of the smartphone market, which is dominated by Nokia and Blackberry.
The new devices were launched by Apple boss Steve Jobs who said the phone would be "more affordable" for consumers, starting at $199 (£100).
The new iPhone also comes with GPS satellite navigation built in for location-based services.
The iPhone was first launched last year and was criticised for its support for slower 2G networks only.
Mr Jobs said the 3G iPhone was "three times faster" downloading content over a mobile network compared to the original device.
Analyst John Delaney, research director for consumer mobile at IDC, said the iPhone 3G was disappointing.
 |  They are going for volume. But they have got a big mountain to climb outside of the US  Analyst John Delaney |
"To me it's more about what they didn't say, than what they did. Everyone knew it would be 3G and have GPS."
Apple has a 20% share of the US smartphone market, but only 5% worldwide.
Rival manufacturers
Rival handset manufacturers have also been designing devices which assume the iPhone's mantle as the "most desirable phone on the market", including Nokia's N96 and the Blackberry Thunder.
Google's Android platform will also hit mobile phones later this year, adding yet more competition to the high-end consumer smartphone market.
| The big talk in the corridors of the Moscone Centre was about the new lower cost of the device. BBC Technology reporter Maggie Shiels  |
Apple has sold more than six million iPhones since the device debuted in the US in June last year and the firm says it is on course to sell 10 million by the end of 2008.
Mr Jobs said the cost of the original iPhone was the "number one reason" that people had not bought one of the devices.
Mr Jobs said "The iPhone started at $599. It now sells at $399. We want to make it even more affordable."
The cheapest 8GB iPhone 3G will sell for $199, while a second model with 16GB of storage will sell for $299.
Mr Jobs pledged that the $199 price would be the same across many countries.
 The 3G iPhone will be released on 11 July |
The new iPhones will be launched on 11 July in 22 countries, including the UK.
In the UK, mobile network O2 said the iPhone would be available for free on some contracts, starting at £45 a month.
The carrier said the phone would also be available to pay as you go customers but it did not disclose pricing for calls and data.
Reaction to the new 3G iPhone from developers and media at the conference in San Francisco was broadly positive, said BBC technology reporter Maggie Shiels.
Henry Kannapek told BBC News that the $199 price tag would be hard to resist when the phone hit the shops.
"It's tremendous. It's an incredible price. It's the best mobile device I have ever seen. I've got some cheap cell phones and I want to buy one of these."
Developer Chris Cooksey of Wimba said Apple would score big with such a low price point.
"It's a great price. They have made huge improvements to the phone and the fact that you can do third party applications rules."
Mobile developer Robert F. Farnum, of Boingo.com, told BBC News he was all set to splash out on the new device for his family.
'Pretty excited'
"I've got six people in my family that need to get one so I just sent them all e-mails saying they have to buy it. The price just blew me away and the software is amazing. It is the best phone on the market."
Michael Arrington, of the influential blog TechCrunch, said: "I was pretty excited by what I saw but I was hoping for a thinner model and a front-facing camera. But I think with the 3G speed and the price point it looks like a winner."
Analyst John Delaney said: "The fact it's cheaper is interesting. But how is it going to be cheaper?
"If Apple is doing it by cutting the retail price, it will drastically hit their margins if they sell volume.
"If the lower price is through operator subsidy, they are becoming a bit more humble. But that's not clear at this stage.
"Either way, they are going for volume. But they have got a big mountain to climb outside of the US."
Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.
Surf the web and download email over fast 3G cellular networks.
Get ready to browse and download innovative applications for iPhone.
Find your location, get directions, and track progress along your route.
Get push email, calendar, and contacts with Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync.
Take a look at additional iPhone features including:
For its worldwide release, iPhone 3G adds more language support. View languages
English, French, German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Polish
English (U.S.), English (UK), French (France), French (Canada), German, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal), Portuguese (Brazil), Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Russian, and Polish
Some features and services are not available in all areas. See your carrier for details.
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